In the Land of Blue Forests
by Cactus Bob
Summary: Five teenagers have saved the earth four times before they've even graduated highschool! Now, a power from another world needs their help, and Yugi may just have the special powers to do it.
1. Warfare

Yay! A new story! I'm very honored that you're reading this, and I hope you enjoy the fic! Now, let's get started.

Yu-Gi-Oh (c) Kazuki Takahashi  
This story (c) Me

* * *

Yugi sighed as he sat in his painfully boring history class, listening to the teacher hammer his brain with useless and erroneous facts on Ancient Egypt.

"_That's not right at all…"_ Yugi moaned in his head_. "And how did this man make this so boring? I'm sure that the actual war was way more exciting than this…"_

Yugi could tell that the teacher was spewing falsehoods because of the look on Atem's face. Regardless of his formidable self-control, he looked like he had just eaten lemon-flavored peanuts. And because he was allergic to peanuts and broke out horribly in red hives whenever he ate them, this was not a pleasant expression.

"Alright, I want you to write a three-page long treatise on Ancient Egyptian war strategies and weaponry!" the teacher bellowed.

Yugi stuffed his books into his bag and hung it off of his petite shoulder. "War strategies and weaponry, huh?" Yugi asked Atem on their way out of school. "Have any ideas?"

"That was complete nonsense," Atem said matter-of-factly. "My grandfather, Semerkhet, fought valiantly in that battle himself! How could time have twisted the story so?"

Yugi smiled and shook his head. Atem was still working on speaking like a normal person. "Weapons! Dat'll be cool!" Joey said enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" Tristan agreed. "It's about time we got out of that 'agriculture and family life' thing."

Atem held his head. Those two would never understand the glory of a peaceful era. "Atem, try to remember that we're not necessarily going for an _accurate_ treatise this time," Tea chided. "We're trying to learn the _text-book_ version."

"There shouldn't be a difference," Atem complained.

"In a perfect world, Atem," said Yugi, waving goodbye to Joey and Tristan as they went off toward their own houses.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow, OK?" Tea said cheerfully, crossing the street to her brownstone apartment.

"Thank heavens for the weekend, huh?" Yugi asked, rubbing the tedium out of his wide, amethystine eyes.

"Indeed. I didn't need to know any of this information when I was going to be pharaoh," Atem said. "And frankly, I don't understand why we need it now."

"We don't, really. When are we going to use Ancient Egyptian war strategies and weaponry, anyway?" Yugi said, exasperated.

Atem laughed. "Considering our lives, I really can't say. Not many modern day citizens would assume that playing a harmless card game would save the world four times over, would they?"

"Guess not," Yugi said, giggling. "That doesn't mean I have to like it, though."

"Do you want me to make dinner, partner?" Atem offered. Yugi cringed. Atem had never cooked before. Usually it was only Yugi and Grandpa who made the meals. Yugi didn't know how Atem using the stove would work out, and he didn't want to take the risk.

"Ah… I'll make it like usual, don't worry," Yugi assured him. "How about macaroni and cheese?"

Atem nodded happily. They walked inside and into the kitchen, where they decided to take a brief reprieve from thoughts of school. "Yugi?" Atem asked suddenly. "Where are you from?"

Yugi put on the water to boil and turned to Atem. "Where am I from? What do you mean?"

"Where were you born? What country are you from?" the Egyptian rectified. "All of this talk about Egypt reminds me that you've never told me much about your past yourself."

"I… come from… an island," he responded vaguely.

"An island?" Atem asked. "Which island?"

Yugi waved his hand dismissively. "An unimportant island somewhere off the coast of… Australia."

"Really? Australia? You don't sound like you come from there. How strange…" Atem said pensively.

"No! No, I don't come from Australia; I come from the island _off the coast_ of Australia," Yugi said, even though he took care never to mention the island's name.

Atem looked down at the table. "You don't like to talk much about your past, do you?" he asked.

Yugi poured the pasta into the bubbling water with some salt and olive oil. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I understand," Atem said. But Yugi knew that Atem never could understand. It wasn't as if he didn't want to tell Atem, but it was his duty not to tell anyone who didn't find out on their own. Inwardly, Yugi groaned. They were redundant, rigorous laws that didn't apply to him and his friends. But rules were rules, and Yugi couldn't do anything about it.

* * *

Yugi dozed soundly in his cozy bed, his cotton-covered chest rising and falling rhythmically. Atem wasn't sleeping so well. For hours he had had a deep, pit-like feeling of trepidation lurking in his stomach for no apparent reason. 

"_For years I have trusted in my senses of dark powers and shadow magic,"_ he thought as he lay on his bed_. "Something is going to happen, like it has happened before. But what is it, and what can I do about it, if anything?"_

A mysterious female voice whispered in a strange language as the wind swept up the curtains framing the open window. It was a songlike chant that had considerable power.

Atem sat up immediately. "Who are you, and what do you want?" The voice continued to murmur in that strange language. "Answer me!" Atem demanded.

"Please, save us!" it exclaimed suddenly. A dark, onyx-colored portal opened up in the ceiling, and quickly pulled the ex-pharaoh into its murky depths.

When he emerged on the other side, Atem landed hard on a bed on green grass. He sat up, rubbing his throbbing backside. Soft, blue leaves swirled mystically around him, and the quiet trickling sound of a brook sang sweetly into his ears.

"Where am I?" Atem asked himself aloud, standing up and looking around. A ways off were the sounds of a city—children laughing and playing, merchants bartering about the price of goods, and carts being pulled along cobblestone pathways.

Atem didn't know what to do. He could go toward the city, but what help could he find there? As far as Atem knew, he was pulled into another dimension by that enigmatic voice. Would the person who summoned him tell him why he was there or not?

"Half-breed flesh…" a gurgling voice muttered from behind him. Atem spun around to find a tall, mutilated man with sallow skin covered in oozing boils. He bared his rotted, pointed teeth and drooled.

Atem instinctively took a defensive posture. "What do you want?" Atem asked firmly.

"Half-breed flesh!" the creature said again. It lunged toward Atem, but the pharaoh was too fast for it. He dodge-rolled to the side and kicked the legs out from beneath the mutation. Grabbing a fallen stick, Atem didn't hesitant to thrust it through the beast's shoulder, pinning it to the ground. It howled in pain.

"Well taken, foreigner!" a voice said from the cerulean trees. "Not many civilians can hold their own again the Rashauni."

Atem turned around and saw a battle-clad man riding on a unicorn plated in armor. His eyes were fierce, and shone light-brown from beneath his heavy brows. Unruly auburn locks hung over his leather headband. "Rashauni?" Atem asked.

The rider raised his eyebrows. "You defeated one and yet you don't even know what it is? Not many people could claim such a feat."

"I'm… a foreigner, as you said," Atem said, twisting his meaning deviously. He was a foreigner; he wasn't from this dimension at all. But this knight didn't need to know that.

"Alas! I have forgotten my courtesies! I am Sern." The rider slipped off his steed and unsheathed a sword. Atem tensed and backed away. "Do not fear, foreigner. In fact, I owe you much gratitude," Sern said, cleanly decapitating the Rashauni with his blade.

"Gratitude for what, if I may ask?" Was the man going to thank him for saving his own life?

"I have been hunting that creature for many a day. It was a rogue scout sent by his people. Apparently, he got hungry," Sern joked grimly. "There are few who could fare as well as you did. Are you trained by the Guard?"

"No, my… father taught me," Atem managed. He had no idea what the Guard was.

Sern cleaned his blade on the grass and returned it to its sheath. "You would do well as a member. Do you have another trade?"

Atem shook his head. "Not at this moment, no."

"Excellent!" Sern said. "If it becomes you, we will make you one of us! It is truly an honor to guard our kingdom from ruin."

Atem smiled and nodded, although he was very concerned. What had he gotten himself into?


	2. Sapphire Shrubbery

Joey yelled as he fell through a dark portal that was strangely reminiscent of a black hole. Suddenly, he crash landed on rocky terrain, hitting his head against the rigid earth.

"What da heck is going on here?" he mumbled, his vision blurred and swimming. Joey sat up shakily, leaning against a boulder when he nearly fell. "Where am I?"

The last thing he remembered was sleeping soundly when, out of the blue, he had woken up for no apparent reason. A murmuring voice was carried by the wind into his filthy room, whispering strange words in a foreign language. Joey had called out to it, demanding its identity. But his only response was a giant, shadowy hole in the ceiling, sucking him to who knows where.

"Hey!" a brusque, manly voice shouted from his left. "How dare you assault my pigs!"

Joey looked around. A few small, fat creatures hobbled around him, squeaking quietly and sniffing at his shoes. "These ain't pigs…" he muttered.

"Hey!" the man said again, running up to Joey with a large stick in his only hand. "So we have another pig thief, eh?" he asked, his eyes burning with madness. "They're my pigs and my livelihood, so get out of here before I beat that blonde hair off your head!"

"I didn't come ta steal ya pigs, mista!" Joey said quickly, stepping over the pigs as he retreated.

The pig farmer cocked his head. "You're here… for work?"

Joey didn't see any other way to excuse his presence in the middle of the man's ranch, so he nodded. "Yeah, work! Dat's it!"

"So what do you want? Five gerst a day sound fair, plus room and board?" the pig-herder offered. Joey had no idea what a gerst was, so he nodded again. "Good. The feed's in the shed—spread it for my little piglets beneath the rock-shade. Come in at midday for noon-meal."

He began to walk off toward a wooden, cabin-like house in the distance. "Wait!" Joey yelled. "How am I supposed ta work for ya if I don't know ya name?"

"It's Wendel." Wendel replied, slamming the door to his house.

* * *

Tea groaned as she got to her knees. She found herself by a shimmering sea, her legs being gently lapped by cool, salty waves. Cactus flowers grew happily in the pink sand, and the sun smiled down on her. 

"What is this place?" she mumbled aloud. "Is it another dimension or something?"

Tea stood and brushed the sand from her pajamas. Five silver frogs splashed about in the surf at her toes. "This place is neat, though…" she mused. "Just look around. It's beautiful."

Tea took a few steps toward a grassy plain. An unusually crooked house billowing multicolored smoke teetered under sapphire birches. "I wonder if someone could tell me where I am… let's hope they speak English."

Tea walked bravely up to the triangular front door and briefly rapped on it. "Get the door, Darius!" a harsh voice said, and a few moments later the door opened up, revealing a short, carrot-topped boy with circular glasses.

"Can I help…" he trailed off, and looking her up and down. Tea fidgeted under his gaze.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "Please, can you tell me where I am? I'm a bit lost."

The boy—presumably Darius—was silent for a bit, and then slammed the door in Tea's face. "Master! Master!" she heard him yell. "I found a summoner!"

The door opened again, and a spindly, elderly woman stood before her. "Ah, yes, you're right, Darius," she said. The woman extended a hand, ushering Tea inside. "Come in, darling, come in. It's not often that summoners come to our doorsteps."

"Uh… summoner?" Tea asked confusedly. All she wanted was directions to the next flight to Domino. Maybe a map or something.

"Tsk, tsk…" the woman said, shaking her head sadly. "She doesn't even know her own powers. But this is wonderful! We can train a summoner right here and deliver her to the Guard! We'll be famous from now on!"

"Excuse me, ma'am…" Tea said politely. "But I think you've confused me with someone else. I'm just really lost, you see. And I'm looking for a way—"

"Listen to me, darling. You have a wonderful opportunity and so do we. We're not going to let you just throw it away. You can do your part for the Empire, dear. Don't you want that?"

Based on their demanding stares, Tea assumed that they weren't going to just let her walk away. "Yes… yes, of course, ma'am."

"Please, call me Aunt Teph., Teph said, walking off to make some tea.

From behind her, Darius growled. "She never let me call her Aunt Teph…"

* * *

Tristan sat meditatively on a stone, wondering what to do. A few minutes ago he had been dropped without warning in some sort of other world, and he didn't have idea how to get back. 

"Alright, I guess it comes down to whether I should go left—" He turned to his left, which was a cobblestone road leading to a far-off city. "Or right," he said, turning to his right, where a rugged trail veered into the woods.

Tristan shrugged and hopped off the rock, beginning his trek down the path on the right. Most people would have chosen the road, but he figured that the country-folk would probably have a better idea of what was going on.

He meandered down the footpath for while, breathing in the rich, sweet scent of the blue leaves that he crushed beneath his feet. At last he heard a familiar voice.

"What da heck do ya want, ya stupid midget pigs!? I put da feed under da rock-shade and everythin'!"

Tristan looked around and finally saw Joey, yelling at a bunch of diminutive piglets. Another man came out, screaming at Joey to get off of his property if he was going to treat the pigs that way. Joey walked toward the path, looking dejected.

"Problems with the pigs, Joe?" Tristan asked.

Joey looked at him and seemed surprised. But he quickly got over that. "Those dings are crazy! They tried ta bite me!"

"Ooh, scary," Tristan mocked.

Joey growled. "Well we found each other. I guess da others are probably here too."

"Where could they be?" Tristan asked. "I mean, if this really is another dimension or something, they could be anywhere!"

"Calm down, Tristan," Joey said, sounding perfectly peaceful. "Since we found each other so quick, da others are probably near here too."

Tristan sighed. "If Joey gets it, then we're all in trouble."

* * *

"Where are we?" Atem asked, as they walked along the cobblestone paths of a bustling city. 

Sern turned to him in shock. "Where are we?" he repeated. "This is the city of Shurken, the capital of the Plurenian Empire. Surely even a foreigner such as you would know such a thing."

"I grew up in a somewhat… secluded place," Atem lied. "I don't know much about the Empire."

"I'll inform you, then," Sern said, and cleared his throat. "The Empire is a glorious kingdom ruled by our lord Emperor Deibolos, emperor of the four races."

"Four races?"

"Yes. The humans, the Rashauni, the Fuerites of the Garuthier Forest, and the Dertans of the northern mountains. But interracial relations have diminished of late. The Dertans are reclusive, and we do not see hide or hair of them. The Fuerites fear enslavement and masquerade as humans constantly. And now the Rashauni have rebelled against our rule. It is a dark time for the Empire, and a time of much employment for the Guard. Our duty is to protect the emperor and the capital with our lives, and with the Rashauni insurgency we have faced many battles."

"What makes you think that I am cut out to work with the Guard?" Atem asked. "You barely even know me."

Sern sighed. "Our forces are waning, Atem. Every hand able to defeat a Rashauni is readily accepted into our forces."

Atem nodded. "I just hope I can be of some help."

"Ah! Here is our destination. The Guard's stronghold is adjacent to the Royal Palaces." Sern noted, handing his horse's reins to a stable boy. He led Atem in. "The best we can do is equip you with a sword. Our resources are slim, and we can supply you neither armor nor stallion. You will stand aside me in the Palace Meeting Sanctuary as we protect Wednesday's meeting from invasion or espionage."

"What… day is today?" Atem asked, feeling a bit foolish as Sern guided him to his living quarters.

"It is Monday, my good man! Were you badly injured in some way, or are you not fluent in this language?" Sern answered boisterously.

"Sorry," Atem apologized. "I'm a bit disoriented."

"Well, if you want to know more about the Empire and its workings, I suggest the library. I must go, but I will meet you at the stable entrance at dawn Wednesday." Sern bade him a quick goodbye, and took his leave.

"The library is probably a good idea… I'd like to know more about the races he mentioned," Atem thought, and wandered around Guard HQ until he fought a room filled to the brim with dusty books.

An elderly man stood stiffly at a deck, staring unrelentingly at a wall. "Excuse me," Atem said. "Can you direct me to a book detailing the four races?"

The man bent over—something creaked—and pulled out a leather-bound tome. Atem took it tentatively. "Thank you…" he said quietly, frowning as he saw the volume's size.

Atem went back to his room, sat on his bed, and opened it up. The first passage was about humans. Atem didn't need to know about that. The next was about the Dertans.

"The Dertans are beast-like creatures that live primarily in the Tertugash Mountains. Not much is known about their race, but we do know that the males carry the children, while the females are the main hunters."

Atem sighed. How could the book be so big if the passages were so short? Atem turned the page. This was about the Rashauni.

"The Rashauni are rebellious humanoid creatures capable of low sentient thought. They crave human flesh and are a serious risk factor for insubordination. Methods of killing: Decapitation, removal of the liver, or a blow to the brain."

A serious risk factor? This book must have been written a while ago. There was only one race left, and many pages to fill. The word "Charger" flashed across the page.

"Chargers are creatures of various shapes and sizes capable of being summoned by an experienced magician. There are four elements of Chargers and five classes. The members of the fifth class are able to take human form, and are rarely found in their true shapes. They have human-level intelligence and feel that their summoning is immoral. Thus, they have taken false names to prevent their use in battle. Also known as Fuerites."

That was what took up the rest of the book. Page after page was filled with the details of every element and every class and the rituals required to summon them.

"Whatever these Chargers are, they seem like powerful weapons in war," Atem thought. "But the fifth class has human-level intelligence… summoning them against their will would be making them slaves. I can understand why they chose the fate they did, but I hope that they won't regret their decision if the Rashauni invade their forest."

* * *

A/N - So, we've seen almost everybody so far, but that leaves us with one question: Where's Yugi? Stay tuned to find out!


	3. On Our Way Up

Atem stood calmly beside Sern in the Palace Meeting Sanctuary. He had spent the last two days learning everything there was to learn about this world. He had poured through book after book until he had impressed even the old librarian. Now he was keeping his eyes and ears open, listening carefully to Emperor Deibolos's conversation with his advisors.

"The city of Eintres has not yet made an alliance to the Rashauni Insurgency or the Empire. I suggest we attack now and barrage it with Earth Charger assaults. We will make a preemptive strike and take care of the threat before it arises," one advisor said, pointing to Eintres on the map.

"I agree," said another. "Eintres could be a powerful enemy, and it would be best to drive it to ruin in haste."

Atem didn't like this. They were attacking innocents. "Eintres could be a powerful ally as well, my lord," Atem said quickly. Sern glared at him. "I beg of you, listen to me. Eintres has control over formidable Water Chargers, who could aid us in our cause. Moreover, the majority of the Eintres population is human, whose flesh the Rashauni seek to devour. In all likelihood, Eintres would fight the Rashauni on their own rather than ally with them."

Shouts of outrage came from the councilmembers. Sern looked as if he could remove Atem's head right there. Unlike the others in the room, the emperor didn't seem perturbed at all by Atem's outburst. "What do you suggest in my advisors' place, Guardian?" he asked quietly.

"The Eintreans value Amorian feathers above all other treasures. We slaughter those birds daily for food! If we sent the feathers that we usually discard to the Eintreans as a peace offering, they would accept our offer for alliance," Atem advised, presenting his idea quickly.

The stern-looking, white-haired Emperor Deibolos looked into Atem's crimson eyes. "Where do you hail from, and what is your name?" he asked. He sounded impressed.

"I come from a distant land, my lord, and my name is Atem."

"A distant land?" asked Emperor Deibolos. "There are many, Atem. To which do you refer?"

"It's called…" Atem hesitated. There were very few cities on the map that were out of the Empire's reach, and Atem didn't fit any of them. "Domino."

Deibolos frowned. "I have not heard of such a place, but it bears learned men. Your suggestion seems wise to me." The emperor nodded in Atem's direction and walked out of the room. The advisors followed him, but only after casting Atem a few nasty glares.

Sern stared at Atem in disbelief. "I have been a Guardian for eighteen years now. Never before have I seen such thing! It was not but two days ago when you had no idea about the races or even the Empire, and now you offer advice superior to the Council itself? This is madness…" He shook his head slowly. "Nevertheless, I believe you were just promoted, foreigner."

Atem was taken aback. "Promoted? What makes you think that?"

"The emperor speaks only to his kinsmen and to his council. As he spoke to you, that now makes you one of those two," Sern explained, and marched off.

* * *

"Do ya see that city over there?" Joey asked, pointing toward the bustling metropolis at the end of the cobblestone road. "That crazed pig-farmer told me that's da capital o' da entire Empire! If we're gonna find any info about da others, it'll be there."

"So what are we supposed to do? Walk in there and ask if someone's seen two midgets with crazy hair and a dancer?" Tristan asked bitterly.

Joey growled. "O' course not! We'll be more… descriptive!"

"Whatever, dude. I just think we're going to have a hard time meeting up again, that's all," Tristan stated calmly, stepped on the road to Shurken.

"Well ya don't hafta be so pessimistic about it!" Joey yelled, catching up with him.

Tristan peered at him. "Pessimistic? Where'd you learn that word, Joey?"

"Serenity taught me."

* * *

"As a summoner, you'll be learning how to summon creatures known as Chargers." Aunt Teph explained. "But first you'll need to pick your specialty. You can excel in whatever you choose, but the opposite element will be extremely difficult for you to control. You'll need to choose wisely, dear."

Tea pondered for a second. Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind… which one to pick? Fire was deadly strong, but flimsy. Water could easily be controlled, but it was weak. Earth was incredibly resilient, but headstrong and difficult to manage. Wind was agile and compliant, but comparatively delicate and frail.

"Wind." Tea chose finally.

Teph nodded. "You've already summoned a class one of each type, so you know how it works. You say the proper incantation for class and element combined with the summon's Charge Name. Easy enough for those people who have the gift."

"You do know about the classes, don't you?" Darius asked. Tea shook her head. "Well, classes have to do with the Charger's power and level of submission. The class ones are basically dolls; they can't do anything without you. Class twos are like dogs—you have to give them commands, but they'll follow 'em. Class threes are no problem; they're strong, but they don't have any magical powers. Class fours are devious little buggers… they're strong too, and they'll kill you as soon as look at you."

"Are there class fives?" Tea asked as she looked over the summoning incantations for Wind Chargers.

"Yeah, there are class fives," he said seriously. "They're more like powerful humans than anything. They've formed their own community down in the southeast. Each one is given a specific Charge Name at birth, and then they have another name they use when they're pretending to be humans. If, by any chance, you see one on the enemy's side, I suggest you run. Fast."

Tea was confused. "If they're like humans, then why would anyone summon them? It's basically slavery."

"That's what the Chargers believe, darling," Teph said, sipping a cup of tea. "That's why if you ever met a class five, you probably wouldn't know. They hide their Charge Names and take human forms so they can't be summoned, you see."

"Well, I think they're right," Tea said. "Nothing with human intelligence—human or not—should be forced to do something against their will. How could anyone use a class five like that?"

"For power, or prestige. Having a class five at one's disposal is a symbol of extreme influence… and depravity. It is said that Emperor Deibolos has one, and a few Rashauni summoners, too," Teph answered.

Tea was surprised. "The emperor is a summoner?"

"Yes," Teph said. "Class fives can only serve one master, you see. Once a human knows their true name and summons them for the first time, an unbreakable bond is formed between them. The emperor has now ensured that no one will try to sabotage his throne… the class five is an unwilling servant, but it is bound by ancient laws to protect its summoner at all costs."

"It's sad… I never knew that the Empire was like that," Tea mused, swirling a cinnamon stick in her tea.

"Our Empire does indeed have troubles. Class five slavery issues, the underlying discrimination against non-human races, the Rashauni insurgency… they are all results of our new ruler. Emperor Deibolos is beloved by his people, but I have been around long enough to realize that his prejudice and lavish debauchery will slowly tear this land apart."

Tea sighed. "I'm sorry. I've… never really been a part of the Empire."

"It seems odd that you would live so far away and just stumble into its capital…" Teph said, smiling knowingly. "But it's alright, dear. You don't have to tell me everything."

Tea returned the smile gratefully. "You have completed your first summoning, which means that you'll have to be registered. I sent a letter to the Guard, and they'll send a representative here tomorrow. They'll ask simple things: your name, age, Charger specialty. They might need your help in a battle eventually," Teph explained.

Tea's face turned green. "A battle? Like actual fighting!?"

"Of course, darling." Teph stated. "What else would someone need summoning for? It's our duty to the Empire, I'm afraid, and as long as you live within its borders you must follow their law."

Aunt Teph didn't understand. Tea wasn't _supposed_ to be living in the Empire's borders. She wasn't supposed to be in this world at all. Tea only hoped that she could find a way home to her friends and family.


	4. Family Reunion

Atem meandered though Shurken's myriad streets, looking disinterestedly at all of the wares and goods the merchants had to offer. Atem had looked through all of the books on magic and summoning, but he still had no idea how to get home to his friends.

Sern had been right. A few hours after the event with the emperor in his meeting sanctuary, Atem had been given a notice that he was a "temporary Councilmember". Sern explained that it meant that whenever the emperor had a particularly difficult problem, he would call on Atem and all of his other temporary Councilmembers to help him sort things out. It also meant that Atem would be one of the first to know about upcoming battles and get all of the best assignments. Atem chuckled. Poor Sern had seemed rather envious when he had enlightened him.

At noon, Atem would be given a horse to ride to a rundown cabin near the Tiendle Sea. A new summoner was there and needed to be registered. They would be put into service in the Guard whenever a battle came up, he was told, and he needed to make sure they were all accounted for.

Atem thought sadly as he looked over various magical objects to see if they could be used for teleportation of some kind. "Will I ever get a chance to go home? What does Yugi think of my absence? Or any of the others, for that matter… they must be as confused as I am."

* * *

"Excuse me," Tristan said to a distressed-looking woman carrying a pot full of giant feathers. "Have you seen a short person with really crazy hair, or a pretty girl with a nice shape and short brown hair?"

The woman shook her head quickly, her long black locks flicking back and forth. "I'm sorry, no. I have to go deliver these Amorian feathers to the Guard, good day…" she said, and then hurried off toward the palace.

"I told ya we weren't gonna get any information outta dese people." Joey complained. "All they've done is stare at our clothes and tell us dey ain't seen nothin'!"

"Well what else do you suggest, brain trust?" Tristan retorted angrily. "You were the one who said we should do this in the first place!"

"I dunno, uh…" Joey grabbed a magical trinket from the shelf. "Hey, market guy! Ya got anythin' dat could track a person's location o' somethin'?"

"Let go off my amulet, thief!" the merchant yelled, grabbing the pendant from Joey's hand. "Go away and don't come back, or I will call the Guard!"

Joey stormed off, defeated and dejected. "Dat's da second time I've been called a thief in da past three days, and I don't like it! I've had ta eat mini-pig-food, sleep on rocks, and run around askin' random people where my friends are! Dis sucks…"

Tristan heaved a sigh and patted Joey consolingly on the back. "Don't worry, dude. I'm sure it will look up some time."

"Joey! Tristan!" a familiar voice said, right on time. Atem, handsomely clad in blue-stained leather armor with a sword at his side, ran up to them. "You're here!"

"Atem!" Joey yelled. "We finally found another person!" He did a small victory dance.

"Told you things were looking up!" Tristan exclaimed, and took Atem in a manly hug. "It's good to see you again, man."

Atem laughed. "It's good to see you as well, Tristan. How have you two been faring?"

"Horribly," Joey answered shortly. He looked at Atem's new attire. "Don't look da same for you, though."

Atem glanced down at his clothes and weapon. "I have been extremely fortunate. I have been elected as a member of the Guard and a temporary Councilmember." Joey and Tristan's jaws dropped. Atem looked up at the sky and suddenly stiffened. "And because of my new position, I have obligations I have to fulfill. I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Go!? But we just found you!" Tristan yelled.

Atem sighed. "I suppose… I have enough money to rent a horse for you two as well. You can come with me."

"Cool!" Joey said, walking alongside Atem toward the stables. "So, uh, where are we goin'?"

* * *

"This is worse than a job interview…" Tea muttered to herself, observing her reflection in a dusty mirror. She was feeling nervous about her registration process, even though Teph had told her time after time that it was nothing. Regardless, Teph had been kind enough to pull out a stunning dress for Tea to put on. It was far more appropriate for the Empire than the tank top and pajama bottoms she had been wearing for the past three days.

"How are you feeling, darling?" Teph asked concernedly, lacing up Tea's soft blue bodice in the back.

Tea fiddled with her fingers. "Anxious," she admitted.

"I told you before and I'll tell you again—don't be. There's no way to fail this test." Teph assured, and lovingly brushed Tea's hair from her eyes.

A knock came at the rickety door. "That's them!" Teph announced, and rushed downstairs.

Tea breathed deeply and smoothed out her skirt. Everything would be fine. She stepped lightly down the stairs and stopped. There, standing in the entryway, was Atem.

"Atem?" she asked unbelievingly. "It's you?"

Atem looked at her and his eyes widened. "Tea! You're here as well!" he exclaimed happily, walking up to her.

"As well?" Tea noticed. "The others are here too?"

Atem nodded. "Joey and Tristan are outside waiting for me to finish so we can go looking for… you, actually."

Tea giggled. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

"You two know each other?" Teph asked slyly.

"Oh, yes, uh," Tea stuttered. "We're childhood friends from that city outside of the Empire's borders."

Atem was surprised. She had come up with almost the exact same excuse for her strange behavior as he had. "Tea… is Yugi with you?" he asked quietly.

Tea looked down. "No… I don't know where he is," she admitted. "I was hoping he was with you."

"We found each other." Atem said hopefully. "We'll find him too."

"Yeah… oh! Don't you still have to register me?" Tea asked. "I mean, you're a member of the _Guard_ now, aren't you?"

Atem smiled. "Yes. I know your name and birth date, so we can skip over that. Your Charger specialty… I must say, I was surprised to find that you had become a summoner."

"So was I. I didn't even know what a summoner was when Aunt Teph here-" She jutted her head towards Teph. "Told me that I was one. And I've chosen Wind."

Atem wrote this down on a yellow-toned piece of paper and put it into his pocket. "I need to go back to the capital, Tea. You can come with me, if you want."

"Yes, of course! I'm not going to let us split up after all of the worrying I did."

"Then let's get going."

"Foreigner!" Sern called out to Atem as he and the others rode up to the Guard stables.

Atem dismounted, helping Tea off as well. "Sern. What is it?"

"I have gotten word about a new battle beginning in on the Gruthelia Plains. The Rashauni are coming to meet us, and they're bringing one of their class five summoners." he explained, looking nervous and distressed.

"A class five summoner?" Tea asked, horrified. She remembered what Darius had said about that.

Sern nodded. "It's going to be a fierce battle, and we'll need all the forces and summoners we can amass. I pray that we won't all die…" he said, and walked back into the HQ.

Atem turned to the others. "Tea, you're going to have to be a part of this. I'm sorry; I never wanted you to be in danger."

"Atem, I can take care of myself." Tea said firmly. "And I'd be happy to fight beside you."

"Don't think we're getting let out either," said Tristan. "We're going to be with you all the way!"

"And I'm sure if Yugi were here, he'd say da same thing." Joey said. But all of them hoped that Yugi was safe somewhere, out of harm's way.

* * *

A/N Don't worry everyone, you'll see Yugi soon, I promise! Just a few more chapters… or is it? (dun dun dun) 


	5. THe Battle of Gruthelia Plains

Atem sat commandingly on a palomino among a line of mounted forces. His hand instinctually rested at his sword hilt and his eyes flitted from Tea and her class three Wind Charger to Joey and Tristan with the foot soldiers.

Atem felt the low morale emanating from the warriors around him. The rumors of a class five had spread, and everyone knew that very few people could stand against such a force. Emperor Deibolos had refused to take the trouble to summon his own class five to protect them, much to the disappointment of Sern. He had always formed a romanticized version of the emperor in his mind, and now he got a harsh reality check.

Atem knew that his main priority was protecting his friends. He wouldn't even be in this battle if it wasn't mandatory for all Guardians, so he wasn't worried about a body count.

A dark mass moved in the distance. Thousands of jaundiced Rashauni marched onto the Plains, bearing jagged swords and spiked javelins. Their teeth were bared, and their tongues craved the flesh of humans. Each step brought them closer to their glorious feast.

Atem knew that the soldiers weren't here to protect the emperor or the Empire. They were here to protect their own families, their wives and children. They were here to keep the ones they cared about from being devoured by the living plague about to come upon them.

Aubergine eyes scanned the lines of Rashauni. There was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing unusual. Either the class five had not yet been summoned, or it and its summoner were hiding in the back wave. That was good news, as far as Atem was concerned: less of an opportunity to get killed.

Sern, the army commander, drew his sword. "Calvary—advance!" he shouted, and Atem kicked his steed into a gallop. The Rashauni bellowed collectively and ran out onto the battlefield, their bloodlust driving them.

For a few moments, it almost seemed like time had slowed down. It was as if the world had stopped, and sound faded. In a sudden crash, human and Rashauni collided. Atem loped the heads off advancing enemies until his horse was shot in the breast and tumbled to the ground.

Atem leaped off, dodging a feral swing and slashing at the creature's gut, causing its viscera to slide out. The next wave was coming.

"Volunteers!" an extremely tall blacksmith roared. "Advance!"

Joey and Tristan gritted their teeth and plunged into the battle. It was hard enough to know whose limbs were whose and whose head to remove. Flashes of blood and dirt blurred the line between friend and foe. Joey and Tristan fought back to back, lashing out at the carnivorous monsters in their path.

Now Tea stood, watching the battle with shaking hands and a burning hope that her friends were still alright. She looked around her. Most of the summoners near her were women as well, because females couldn't fight in a war except if they had control over a Charger. They were stern, hard women, their eyes burning with determination. They were fighting for a cause.

Tea clenched her fists. They were fighting for their families, like she was fighting for her friends. She hoped that the class three she summoned would be enough to protect her, but it was better than what other people had at their command. A few had brought class twos or even class ones, and another boy had a class four who was trying to tie his shoes together.

"Summoners!" rang the clear voice of the chief summoner, her strawberry-blonde hair blowing majestically in the wind. "Advance!"

Tea ordered her class three, whose Charge name was Fa'atius, to advance into the battle. She made it expressly clear that he was only to kill Rashauni, no humans. She wished that she had a loyal class four—that way, she could order it to cast a protection spell over her and her friends. But there was no such luck. She wasn't ready. Even the class three was a stretch.

Tea felt a strange apprehension in her gut. Something was happening. Tea looked at the forces and saw a bright spot among the warriors, a creature with two great, white, feathered wings, and soft white hair. It had the appearance of a pale, young boy, and its arms were bound around its waist with thick chains. Bandages covered its eyes.

It was the class five.

Tea called Fa'atius out of the battle and bravely advanced toward the summoner. Something inside her told her that it was what she was supposed to do. The summoner, dragging the class five along by its chain, cocked its head curiously at Tea.

"The human wishes a duel…" he noted. "She has but a class three…"

"Class three or not, I'm not going to just stand here and let you hurt my friends!" Tea declared defiantly.

From a ways off, Atem saw the flash of white on the battlefield, and watched in horror as Tea went to confront it.

The Rashauni summoner grinned maliciously. "I will dine well tonight. Destroy her!" he roared to his slave.

The class five moved forward a bit, and then stopped. It fought vehemently against the will of its master. "You will heed me!" the Rashauni yelled, and mumbled an incantation used to punish disobedient Chargers.

The class five screamed in pain and fell to its knees, convulsing and bleeding from the nose. Tea was outraged at the summoner's behavior. "Fa'atius! Stop him now!"

Fa'atius smirked and rushed forward. With a quick slice of its long claws, the Rashauni's head was severed from his body and both fell limply to the ground. Tea breathed heavily. She had won in a battle against a class five summoner. It was impossible.

The Wind Charger that had before been tortured reeled and passed out onto the ground. Tea, hopelessly concerned, wiped the blood from its nose and took off its blindfold and chains. Deep down, she really hoped it would be alright. It had saved her life. "Thank you," she whispered.

Sern cut off the head of the final Rashauni, affecting the cheers of the forces around him. Joey and Tristan hugged each other violently. Both of them had seen their very interesting lives flash before their eyes. Atem saw that Joey and Tristan were alright, and then he rushed over to Tea's side. She was kneeling on the ground, with the head of a small, angelic Charger resting on her legs.

"Tea!" he yelled. "Are you alright?"

Tea looked up at him and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine," she said. "Thanks to him…" she said, looking down at the class five on her lap.

"It… it helped you?" Atem asked, shocked.

"Yes," Tea said, and got to her feet, holding the Charger in her arms. "_He_ did. He looks like just a child, doesn't he…?" she mused.

"That is a powerful creature, Tea, not just a child," Atem said seriously. "We must report him to the emperor. It is law."

Tea nodded, but she was regretful to give up her little angel to a self-serving emperor who nearly got them all killed because of his laziness.

* * *

Emperor Deibolos looked hard at Tea, examining her. "You defeated a class five summoner?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yes," Tea answered for the thousandth time.

The emperor nodded pensively and leaned back in his jewel-studded throne. "You two seem to have made a connection, however brief," he noted. "You will watch over him; gain his trust. Then you will find out his Charge Name and tell it to me. With two class fives at my disposal, I will be nigh unstoppable…" he said, trailing off to thoughts of unnecessary grandeur.

"My lord, please," Tea pleaded. "He's just a kid. Maybe he shouldn't be in service like this."

The emperor's temper flared dangerously. "Do you dare to deny the emperor his will? Would you suffer the consequences?"

Tea lowered her head humbly, hoping to avoid his wrath. "I'm sorry, my lord. Forgive me," she said.

"Do as you have been told," the emperor instructed, dismissing her with a quick wave of his hand.

Tea walked toward one of the healing rooms in the back of the palace. The Charger lay unconscious on a fluffy bed, breathing steadily. The emperor had insisted that his blindfold and chains had been returned for safety purposes, even going as far as to bind his gorgeous wings. Tea scoffed and leaned forward, taking them off. The emperor had said to build trust, and restraining someone was no way to do that.

And now Tea leaned back and waited for her charge to awake.


	6. Bondage

To my dear **S2Teennovelist**: Dude, that has to be the longest review I've ever gotten! I'm surprised (and grateful) that you had so much to say. I'm sorry that the scene with Tea and the Rashauni was confusing, but I had hoped to impress that the Rashauni had summoned the class five with white wings and Tea had summoner her class three, Fa'atius. Thanks for reviewing!

And now... for the moment we've all been waiting for!

* * *

Tea found the supposed healing room gloomy and depressing. It was probably because the heavy curtains had been drawn, blocking out all the cheery sunlight. Tea walked over and pulled them open. She smiled as she looked out the window. Somehow, the sunlight reminded her of Yugi. They were both bright and joyful.

Tea sighed and sat back down in her seat. She had been there for the past hour or so, wondering worriedly where Yugi was and if he was alright. They had been in this world for a long time, and they still hadn't found each other. And now she was stuck under the thumb of this useless emperor, following orders she didn't believe in. It was sickening.

Tea looked down at the Charger's small face and brushed a lock of hair from his eyes. "To think they want to enslave something like you…" she whispered.

The Charger's eyes opened suddenly, revealing golden-yellow irises. He gasped and backed into the wall. "Tea!" he exclaimed in shock.

"Calm down, I don't want to…" She stopped. "How did you know my name?"

The Charger shifted his wings, his bright eyes flicking from side to side uncomfortably. "Your… your name?" he mumbled.

"Yes, my name. Even class fives aren't telepathic; how did you know it?" she asked again.

He sighed. "Please understand, Tea, I wanted to tell you," he said cryptically. "I wanted to tell all of you, but I couldn't without you finding out on your own."

Tea was even more confused. "What are you talking about?"

The Charger closed his eyes and his form glowed. The wings disappeared. When the light faded, there, sitting in the Charger's place, was Yugi.

Tea's eyes widened. "Yugi…?"

He looked down, fidgeting restlessly. "It's me, Tea. I couldn't hurt you before on the Plains, I just couldn't! And you saved me from having to be that monster's slave for the rest of my life."

"It's… it's no problem…" Tea said quietly.

"Tea, listen to me," Yugi said, leaning close to her. "I haven't ever been human, but… I've pretended to be for a long time. You and the gang are still my friends… and I hope I'm still yours."

Tea looked at the nervous boy sitting in the spot where a winged Charger once was. The creature she had thought to be her little angel was the friend she had known for many years. But regardless of what he looked like, he had still felt the need to protect her at his own expense. Tea couldn't reject him after he had done so much for her.

"Don't worry about it. I mean… stranger things have happened, haven't they?" Tea thought about it, and she laughed. "Okay, maybe they haven't, but I guess that I can deal with it."

Yugi let out an audible sigh of relief. "Tea, I owe you so much," he said. "You've always been there for me, no matter what. Even when you didn't know it was me you were there for me."

Tea winked. "That's what I'm here for." She became a bit more somber. "I should tell you; the emperor told me to find out your Charge Name so that he could summon you. He already has a class five… and he treats it like a slave! I can't… I can't let him to that to you too, Yugi."

Yugi gulped and took a leap of faith. "It's Tate," he admitted.

Tea glared at him. "Why on Earth did you tell me that!? I just told you that I'm not going to tell Emperor Deibolos!"

"Because, Tea," Yugi began. "If you summon me first, then no one else can!"

Tea blinked. She was surprised that he would trust her so explicitly. It was flattering... However, it was a crazy plan. "Unless he kills me, of course," she retorted.

"I won't let that happen; he knows that," Yugi said, and his eyes flashed gold. "Come on, Tea. Most summoners would jump at the opportunity."

"I'm not most summoners!" Tea said. "It's so much responsibility…"

"I trust you completely, Tea. And it's better for you to be my summoner than this emperor, or someone else that I don't know at all," he explained.

Tea sighed and rubbed her forehead. "It's 'Tate', right?" she asked. Happy that she was agreeing, he nodded. Tea racked her brain for the incantations for a class 5 Wind Charger, as she had never thought she would use it. Then she added Yugi's Charge Name at the end. Yugi seemed to disintegrate for a moment, and then he reformed in front of her, clad in white robes with his wings stretched out from wall to wall.

"Wind Fuerite Tate, at your service!" he said triumphantly, saluting her. Tea could see the resemblance now… only his hair, eyes, and (of course) wings were different.

Tea reached forward and gently immersed her fingers in his soft, white feathers. They were warm and comforting, like down. "You better be…" she said quietly. "I could get executed or something."

Yugi shook his head. "I'm sure this Emperor Deibolos won't risk his Fuerite's life against another. He'll probably just try to bribe you so that he's sure you're on his side."

"Whatever," Tea said, "I just want to go home. Do you have any idea how we got here?"

"I'm afraid not," Yugi said sadly. "By the time I woke up, well…" He smiled softly. "I've missed you guys."

"I'm sure they'll be glad to see you. We were totally wondering where you were." Perfectly on cue, a knock came at the door.

Tea turned to Yugi. "Hold that thought." She walked over and opened the door. Atem was standing reluctantly in the entry.

The Egyptian glanced at the Fuerite hovering cheerfully in the middle of the room, and then forced his eyes back to Tea. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but the emperor kindly requests that you 'hurry up'." Atem sighed, rubbing his forehead. Apparently he had had his fill of the ruler.

Tea grinned. "Did ya hear that, Yugi?" she hollered. "We're not working fast enough for him."

At Yugi's name, Atem looked up. "Yugi's here?" he asked frantically. "You found him? Where is he?"

Yugi waved at him. Atem's eyes showed that he was processing information at light speeds, and then finally it clicked. "Yugi!?" he asked incredulously.

"Hello, Atem…" Yugi said, and blushed slightly.

Atem stared in shock. He was still processing. "You were the Fuerite all along?" he asked. Yugi nodded. "Even before we came to this world?" Yugi nodded again. "Why did you not tell us earlier?"

"It's like I told Tea," Yugi began. "It's against Fuerite law—at least on Earth—to tell a human what you are unless they find out on their own. We've gone through a lot of trouble to make sure that we're not summoned anymore, and no one wants to jeopardize that."

"I understand. But," Atem said, "you can't tell the emperor your Charge Name. He'll never let you leave."

"Oh, we took care of that," Tea said, grinning.

Atem feared the answer, but he asked the question anyway. "What did you do?"

"Tea's my summoner now, Atem. No one else could summon me even if they knew my Charge Name," Yugi answered, preening his slightly disheveled feathers as he spoke.

The blood drained from Atem's face. "Do you two have any idea how adamant Emperor Deibolos is about procuring another class five? He'll have you killed, Tea!"

"He will have to kill me first," Yugi said determinedly. "I will protect Tea with my life, and the emperor probably won't go through the trouble if there's no way for him to win."

"This is a dangerous plan, Yugi…" Atem said. "But I trust that you have a better idea of your abilities than I ever would."

Yugi did a small victory dance when he won the argument. "So when can I meet this emperor? He sounds interesting enough," he said casually.

Tea laughed. "He did say to hurry up, didn't he? Let's go!"

* * *

"My lord?" Atem said, wincing at his own sycophancy. "Tea has learned the Fuerite's Charge Name."

The emperor looked up. "Bring her in, along with the Charger." Atem waved for Yugi and Tea to enter. They walked (or in Yugi's case, floated) before the throne, and Tea bowed respectfully. Yugi stared levelly into the Deibolos's corrupt and hollow eyes, scanning him for weaknesses. His pride was an easy target.

The emperor disregarded Yugi as if he was not even in the room. "Tell me the Charger's name," he demanded.

"It's Tate," Tea stated. Yugi smiled slightly, but overall he remained perfectly still.

The emperor stood, the hem of his decadent robes brushing against the intricately painted floor. He recited the proper incantation, adding Yugi's name. Instead of teleporting like before, Yugi stayed in his place. Deibolos noticed this failure and rounded on Tea. "You have lied to me! Do not do it again. If you do not have the skill even to learn the Charger's name, then I will find another who does!"

"I told you the truth, my lord," Tea said, trying to keep from grinning at the emperor's flustering face. "His name is Tate. Watch."

Tea began to speak the incantation herself. Deibolos's eyes enlarged and he slapped Tea viciously. Tea took the blow well, but Yugi burned with rage and swept a fearsome gust of wind in the emperor's direction, blowing him in an ark through the air until he landed and bounced against the floor.

"Emperor or not, no one hurts my oldest friend and my summoner," Yugi said shortly. Tea brushed a finger against her cheek, and glanced at Yugi. She had never expected him to be able to do something like that. It seemed she had underestimated him.

The emperor was even more surprised, and brushed the blood from his split lip in an undignified manner. "Your summoner!? You summoned him on your own!?"

"No," Yugi said, glaring at the despicable creature that had struck Tea. "I gave her my permission. And I will fight for you only if she wants me to. Okay?"

Deibolos was fazed, but he nodded. "So shall it be."


	7. Alone in the World

A/N Hehehehehe... everyone who's using alerts, sorry about that weird update email. My bad.

* * *

_Seven days earlier._

_The Rashauni territory of Agrabael. _

Gorterg stalked the land, looking for an innocent rabbit or fledgling deer to rip apart and devour. Game had become increasingly difficult to find ever since Kurtosh Uhrdeit declared a rebellion to human rule, marching the Rashauni army through the delicate forests in which all the best meat ran amuck. He growled. He would have been happy to abstain from human meat if he could get any decent meal once in a while.

The kurtosh seemed to feel like the humans were restraining them, keeping them from fulfilling their natural desires. Rashauni ate humans, humans enslaved Chargers, Chargers raided Dertan villages, and Dertans hid in their mountain caves. It was the food chain of Haeïr. But times had changed over the years, and Gorterg was willing to accept it.

Still, the Resistance was not to be defied. Anyone who spoke openly against the Resistance in earshot of a Ruthbor was gutted on sight.

"This war should end," Gorterg muttered to himself. "One way or another, I don't want to this to last forever."

Gorterg stomped back to his cave, having found no food for the day. Another week of this and he would eat his own brother. As he made his was across wind-swept, grassy plains, a dark rift opened in the sky. Gorterg quickly unsheathed his serrated sword and pointed it toward whatever might come out.

A white ball of feathers fell out and hit the ground with a thump. It twitched, and Gorterg approached it cautiously. Was it a mutated seagull? It pushed itself onto its knees, and shook its head. It looked like a human boy. But Gorterg had heard about these kinds of creatures. They were Fuerites, and they fetched an extremely large bounty at the market if captured alive. Enough to feed his family for months.

The Fuerite noticed him. "Who… who are you?" he asked, disoriented. Gorterg stepped forward and, raising an arm, hit him squarely in the face. He collapsed and Gorterg pulled the light-weight creature onto his shoulder. Conscious or not, they would take him.

Yugi awoke later, his head throbbing. "What happened…?" he thought. His vision shifted from too bright to too dark. He was bound to a hard, stone chair, and it smelled terrible.

Suddenly, he felt his wings behind him. He gasped. He wasn't supposed to be in his Fuerite form; he had never changed shape. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep in his bed. And now, he was in a cold room, surrounded by various… torture devices.

A door opened, and a yellow-skinned person with bad teeth entered. He leaned in front of Yugi, and surveyed him with scarlet eyes. "Tell me your Charge Name." he said. He was getting directly to the point. But Yugi couldn't tell him. Wherever he was, the citizens knew about summoning. And if he told his Charge Name, he'd be the permanent slave of whoever decided to summon him first.

"No," Yugi said defiantly.

The creature grinned, and walked over to the end of the room. "I hear Fuerites heal fast." he said, picking a skewer from a rack on the wall.

"I… guess so…" Yugi said.

The interrogator lit a fire in a grate and stuck the skewer into it. "It looks like we'll find out," he said, and walked back to Yugi, holding a red-hot poker in hand.

* * *

"Tate…" Yugi sobbed finally, tears flowing over his cuts and third-degree burns. "It's Tate…"

The interrogator seemed pleased, and dragged Yugi by the cuff of his shirt into a large room. The floors and walls were covered with animal skins of all sizes, colors, and textures. An imposing Rashauni sat on a throne, and two others stood beside him.

"His name is Tate, Kurtosh Uhrdeit." he reported confidently.

Uhrdeit nodded. "Did you have a good time, Ashfel?" he asked, as the interrogator dropped Yugi unceremoniously onto the ground.

"Indeed, Kurtosh. I have not met one with such persistence for quite some time." Ashfel licked his lips. "I got to use the vice." He was referring to the device that had ravaged Yugi's hands, crushing every bone until it pierced the skin.

"Tortum…" Uhrdeit said to the Rashauni on his left. "You can have him. Durdusest already has one."

Tortum bowed respectfully and narrated the appropriate spell. Dimly, Yugi felt himself be called to his summoner's side. As soon as he became corporeal again, he collapsed in a bloody heap. He didn't even have the energy to hover.

Tortum lifted Yugi's head from the ground to get a better look at him. "He'll take about four days to heal, my lord. Then we can attack the humans using him."

A tear trickled out of Yugi's eye, traveling across his disfigured face and onto the furs on the floor. He was now permanently attached to this creature until he or it died. And now that Yugi was forced to fight with him, the odds of that happening quickly were slim.

Yugi didn't want to hurt humans; he didn't want to hurt anyone. Was he born to be a weapon? Being what he was, he didn't have much of a choice. But he wished he'd gotten a better summoner… someone he could trust not to abuse him or force him to do terrible things. Someone like one of his friends. That could never happen now. He was just glad that they weren't there for him to hurt.

* * *

_Four days later._

_The Battle of Gruthelia Plains._

In order to keep a good eye on Yugi during the imminent battle, Tortum had secured him with binding chains and a stifling blindfold. Yugi had just enough room to follow his Rashauni master and use his aerokinesis. "We will approach after the other summoners are deployed," Tortum said to Yugi.

For the last few days, all Yugi had been doing was rotting in a cell until the majority of his feathers grew back and he could move his fingers again. "After they've sent their own Chargers into battle, we'll come in and destroy them all."

Yugi bit his lip. He couldn't defy the orders of his master, but harming his own people? It was as bad as—if not worse than—killing humans. Those Chargers out there were like his brothers and sisters. Yugi imagined that his service could get only more heinous with time.

The Rashauni warriors rushed out onto the field, screaming guttural curses and promises of slaughter. It was a disgusting sight. Tortum licked his lips with a long tongue. He was looking forward to it as well.

"We must be patient…" Tortum said to Yugi, although it was more to himself. "If we rush, the kurtosh will be displeased…"

Yugi looked on in horror as the blood from all three races stained the ground. Vultures hovered menacingly above them, waiting to feed.

"Tate! We advance!" Tortum announced suddenly, and dragged Yugi along by the chain across his middle. "Unleash your fury, my slave."

Yugi blinked more tears from his eyes, and called up his power to move air. He focused on a hard-facing woman instructing her Water Charger to deal a Rashauni a killing blow. She was blown back onto the ground, and her Water Charger fled off into the air. The Rashauni took the opportunity to cut the summoner open.

"An innocent life taken because of me…" Yugi thought despairingly. "I will be the cause of so much pain…"

Suddenly, a very familiar person rushed into Tortum and Yugi's path. A person that Yugi, no matter what his summoner ordered, could never hurt. Tortum cocked his head at her. "The human wishes a duel…" He looked at her puny class three Wind Charger. "She has but a class three…"

Tea gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in a symbol of defiance. "Class three or not, I'm not going to just stand here and let you hurt my friends!" she declared.

"That voice…. No! Tea, run. Please," Yugi begged mentally. "I can't hurt you… you've been my best friend since I was just a kid. Run away, Tea. He's going to make me kill you. Run, please!"

Tortum grinned, practically tasting Tea's sweet flesh on his tongue. "I will dine well tonight. Destroy her!" he yelled to Yugi.

The force of a summoner's orders bubbled within Yugi, pushing him to use his powers. Yugi moved forward an inch against his will. "I… will not… hurt my best friend," he growled in his mind. "Nothing you say will make me hurt my best friend!" And Yugi stopped. The force of his will and the grace of his friendship had saved him from committing an awful crime.

Tea was visibly surprised, and Tortum was enraged at Yugi's insolence. "You will heed me!" he roared, and Yugi knew that the incantation coming next would be the customary punishment for Chargers who managed to escape the bonds of a summoner's instructions.

As if he was hit by a bolt of lightning, pain rushed through Yugi's body from wingtip to toe. Yugi screamed and fell to his knees, convulsing and shaking violently as the electricity flowed through him.

Tea wouldn't stand for Tortum's treatment of Yugi, and ordered her Charger to stop him. The Charger, Fa'atius, decapitated Tortum swiftly. In the brief darkness before passing out, Yugi felt the magical bonds of Fuerite and summoner being broken. Tea had saved him—he was no longer a slave.

He felt Tea's soft, warm hands lift him up and a whispering voice. "Thank you…" Tea said, and that was the last thing he sensed.


	8. Amends

"Tea," Yugi said, as they sat in the training room together. "I want you to have this." He focused his powers and condensed the air around him into a shining white crystal. It hung from a thin silver chain.

"Oh, it's beautiful…" Tea said, taking the opalescent crystal and examining it in the light.

"I'm glad you like it, but it's more than just jewelry," Yugi explained. "You see, each class five has the ability to control an element – aerokinesis, pyrokinesis, hydrokinesis, and terrakinesis, each for their respective types. Only we can focus that element into a crystal, like the one you have there, and we will never do it under a command. That's a symbol of our friendship and voluntary bond—use it to earn the trust of Chargers that otherwise wouldn't have helped you."

Tea was in awe. Yugi was being so helpful… now she could summon class fours without worrying that they were going to axe murder her! "Thank you so much for this," Tea said, putting it around her neck.

"I just want to help…" Yugi said. He sounded guilty, regretful. "I owe everyone that."

"What do you mean? You don't owe anyone," Tea said, confused.

Yugi looked down. His golden eyes reflected his sorrow. "I've done things I'm not proud of, Tea," he choked. "Let me make up for them."

Tea put her hand on his, gently wrapping her fingers around his palm. "Yugi, whatever you did under the control of that Rashauni, that wasn't you. You don't have to take responsibility for that."

Yugi shook his head vehemently, getting up and walking towards the window. "I should never have told him my name, Tea. 'No matter what,' my mom told me. 'People can do terrible things with your name…'" He wiped a stray tear from his eye. "And she was right. This is all my fault."

"Don't say that. Yugi…" Tea put her hand on Yugi's shoulder, which was shaking with suppressed sobs. "I don't know what you went through. But you are a good person. You've saved the world."

"So what?" Yugi retorted. "Is it supposed to be a net gain? I've saved more people than I've…" Yugi couldn't bear to finish his sentence. He didn't want to say it out loud. He had taken a person's life, even if he didn't intend to. "I can't ignore what I did. So I… I'll do my best to make amends."

"Yugi…"

"Don't," Yugi said, cutting her off. "You can just forget about it, Tea. This is guilt that I have to bear."

"Don't be stupid!" Tea yelled suddenly. Yugi spun around and stared at her. "Don't you realize that you could never live with this? You're not going to be Yugi anymore if you take it on yourself like this! Please… this isn't your fault!"

"You don't understand… You don't know what it's like…" he mumbled.

Tea had gotten fed up with Yugi's unnecessary regret, and slapped Yugi smartly. Yugi staggered and held his face. "Well, I guess you don't either! You didn't do anything. So get over yourself," she demanded.

Yugi and Tea stood silently for a minute or so. "Thank you, Tea," Yugi said finally. "No one's ever put a point across quite like you have."

Tea nodded. The poignant moment was interrupted by Atem, Joey, and Tristan barging unceremoniously into the room. "Hey gang. What are you guys doing?" Tristan asked, trying to slap Yugi casually on the back while avoiding his wings.

"We were just going over some stuff about summoning," Tea said. Yugi didn't need other people knowing about what he went through over the past week. "What about you?"

"We came in here for some trainin'!" Joey announced. "Dis is a trainin' room, after all."

"You're actually going to train? Like by fighting each other?" Yugi asked doubtfully.

"How else did you think we were going to train, Yugi?" Atem laughed. "If you want to join us, feel free."

"Did you see what he did to the emperor? The dude doesn't need training," Tristan argued.

Yugi blushed. "He hit Tea…" he muttered.

"We woulda done da the same ding, Yug'," Joey stopped. "Actually, we woulda if it didn't risk life and limb."

"He deserved his punishment, without a doubt," Atem agreed, shaking his head. "People such as him should not be allowed to rule."

"Maybe we should train too, Tea," Yugi suggested suddenly. "Why don't you give me a mission?"

Tea cocked her head. "A mission? What kind of mission?"

"Just pick something. If I can't do it, I'll let you know," he replied.

Tea thought for a while. "Alright. Go over to the Rashauni capital and see what they're up to."

Yugi grinned and saluted her. "Yes, ma'am!" He extended his wings and, with a mighty flap that sent gusts of wind into the room, sped off out of the window. Tea watched him as he soared majestically through the air.

"That's just cool, how he can do that," she mused aloud.

"Yeah…" Tristan said, picking up a large, white feather that had fallen to the padded training room floor. "It's too bad he couldn't have told us before. Stupid laws…"

"They're for the best, Tristan," Atem chided. "If anyone still remembers Chargers and their power on Earth, then they would want to exploit them for their own good. We wouldn't want that to happen to Yugi."

Tea remembered what Yugi had told her earlier. "It must be horrible to be in their position," she said, "to have to follow the orders of whoever knows your real name."

"But we took care o' dat now!" Joey glared at Tea. "Don't be tellin' Yug' to be doin' something he shouldn't."

"Of course I won't! I've been friends with Yugi since _before_ you and Tristan were beating him up!" Tea spat. "If anyone has the right to be his summoner, it's me!"

"You'll probably be sendin' him on all dese totally lame missions! Tellin' him ta go get your groceries and whatnot!" Joey yelled.

Tea growled. "Don't you think I respect him more than that!? What are you going to do: send him out to get himself killed!?"

"I'd just let him get his blood pumpin' every once in a while, ya know?"

"Yugi likes a quiet life!"

"Well, it's better than doin' your chores!"

"Guys, shut up," Atem said sternly. Both Tea and Joey immediately fell silent. He turned to the blonde. "Joey, I'm sure Tea will let Yugi do as he pleases. This arrangement is only for security reasons." Then he turned to Tea. "Tea, Joey only wants the best for Yugi. I'm sure you understand that."

Joey and Tea fidgeted in silence for a moment. "Yes, Atem," they conceded simultaneously.

"Good," Atem said. "Joey, you wanted to train?" Joey nodded. "Then why don't we get started?"

* * *

Joey lay on the ground, beaten and panting. "I think you went a little hard on him, Atem," Tea said as she looked down on him.

"He'll be alright, I'm sure. He fights well," Atem said, smiling as he sat down on a sturdy oak bench in the corner. He didn't seem hurt or even out of breath.

Tristan glanced at Joey, and then he looked at Atem. "Dude, do you expect me to fight you after what I just saw? No thanks; I'll stick with duking it out with this guy."

"The only way to improve is to try to improve, Tristan," Atem said. "I'll go easy on you too, if you wish."

Joey sat up suddenly. "Go easy!? Are you serious?" He groaned and sprawled back out on the floor.

"I wonder when Yugi's getting back," Tea said, helping Joey up. "The Rashauni aren't that far away, and he looked like he flies fast."

Atem pondered over it for a second. "I don't know, Tea. Maybe someone—" Atem was cut off by a person zooming through the open window and making a harsh landing, rolling many times on the floor before coming to a stop against the back wall.

"Yugi?" Tea asked. "That was some entrance."

Yugi rubbed his head and his wing twitched. But something was horribly wrong. Two spiked arrows stuck out of the shining plumage of his left wing, and blood trickled down his leg. His white pants were torn and stained on his thigh. "Well," the Fuerite began, and coughed, "the Rashauni… are definitely up to something."

They all rushed over to his side, putting their hands on him compassionately. "Yugi, what happened?" Atem asked.

"Tea ordered me to do surveillance," Yugi said. "I flew over Agrabael to see what if they were doing anything suspicious. There was…" Yugi shivered. "A massive army. Thousands. A scout saw me and the archers fired with orders to kill. I managed to escape in time."

Tea felt so guilty. It was her fault that Yugi was in the horrible shape he was in. She had given the orders for him to go to Agrabael. And now he was hurt. She really was a horrible summoner. "Yugi, I'm so sorry."

Yugi seemed to read her thoughts. "This isn't your fault. You don't need to make amends… remember?"

Tea nodded. "Yes… of course."

"Are ya gonna be okay, man?" Joey asked. "I mean… ya got arrows stickin' outta ya."

Yugi winced as he pushed himself upright. "Can… you guys do me a favor?" he asked uncomfortably.

"I guess it depends on the favor," Tristan said wisely.

Yugi coughed again. "Can you pull the arrows out?"

Tea and Atem's jaws dropped. Joey and Tristan seemed to think it was cool. "Just pull them out? That's crazy!" Tea argued.

"Fuerite constitution… is very strong," Yugi said, although he knew it was going to hurt. Bad. "Just do it fast so I can start healing. It looks like there's going to be a big battle ahead."

"I'll do it," Joey offered, and in one swift motion pulled a star-tipped arrow out of the poor boy's wing. Yugi screamed, and Joey, without skipping a beat, pulled out the other one.

Yugi breathed shakily for a few moments, biting his lip against the pain until it bled as well. "T-thanks," he mumbled, and wiped the tears out of his eyes. "I'll… I'll be okay. Just let me rest for a bit."

"Of course, Yugi," Atem said. "And I'll bet the emperor would like to know about this."


	9. Friends in High Places

"How did you come about this information?" Emperor Deibolos asked, crossing his legs at his sat presumptuously on his throne. His greedy eyes were continuously on Yugi, wishing endlessly that the class five's powers could be his own.

Tea stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Emperor, I sent Yugi out on a reconnaissance mission to investigate the Rashauni capital, Agrabael. He was attacked by a large army, my lord." Tea glanced at Yugi, who was trying to breathe his way through his pain. "Thousands, he said."

At this, Emperor Deibolos was awakened from his covetous stupor. "Thousands?" he asked in a whispering voice.

Tea nodded. Atem stepped in next to her. "My lord, we do not have enough soldiers in the Guard to combat such a force. We need others to aid us."

"And what do you suggest, Atem of Domino?" the emperor replied in a mocking tone. "Go to the towns outside the Empire?"

"Yes," Atem said shortly. Deibolos was surprised. "Lord, we recently sent Amorian feathers to the city of Eintres. If someone was to go to that city and secure their alliance, then we could use their summoners and soldiers with our own."

For a moment, the emperor considered it. "If you are assured your plan will lead to success… then you will be the ambassador to do it," he said finally.

"My… my lord?" Atem asked. An ambassador? Me?

"You will go to the city of Eintres and secure their alliance, as you earlier said." Deibolos said, a fleeting smile of satisfaction flicking across his aged face. "And you will not return until you accomplish your goal. You are dismissed."

Atem backed out of the room as his orders sunk in. Did the Eintreans even speak the language of the Empire? Atem had no idea what the moral values of the Eintreans were either. It was more likely that he would alienate them than ally with them.

"Are there any other suggestions?" Emperor Deibolos roared ferociously. His voice echoed throughout the empty room. Tea, Yugi, Tristan, and Joey stayed silent. Yugi indeed had a suggestion, but based on the way Fuerites were treated he'd never be trusted. "Then you are dismissed as well."

The gang walked out of the palace and toward the stables near the Guard stronghold. Atem was there, sighing as he slipped a saddle onto his palomino. "So I guess you have to leave right away, huh?" Tristan said sadly. He was beginning to hate this "slave of the Empire" bit.

"I'm afraid so," Atem said. "Eintres is a few miles on land and a short boat ride from here, so it won't take me long to get there. I don't know how long it will take me to convince them to join us, though."

"You will not return until you accomplish your goal," Joey said, mocking the emperor's guttural and grating voice. "I'm gonna miss ya, bud. Who's gonna kick my butt in da trainin' room now?"

"I'm sure you'll find someone, Joey. All of you… I hope to see you soon," Atem said, and mounted his steed. With a quick nod and a few waves, Atem galloped off to the east.

Yugi turned to Tea. This was a good time to bring up his idea. "Tea… I need your help with something," he said.

"Of course, Yugi," she replied. "What is it?"

"Even with the Eintreans on our side, I don't think we'll have enough soldiers, summoners, and chargers to win against the Rashauni," Yugi explained. "I think we'll have to go to another place."

"What other place could we go to, man?" Tristan asked. "I don't think a lot of the outsiders are jumping to get into the Empire."

"I've been looking at sources about the Fuerites of this world. There's a place called Garuthier Forest in the south. Supposedly there are four magical barriers around the city, and only a Fuerite or a summoner with a bond crystal can enter," he explained. "If I can convince them to join our forces, then we're bound to win!"

"A bond crystal? You mean this?" Tea asked, holding up the necklace Yugi had recently given her. He nodded.

Tristan sighed. "I guess that counts us out, huh?"

"Why don't you two raise morale with the troops?" Yugi suggested. "They've all seemed a little down for a long time. You could help them."

"Morale?" said Joey, thinking deeply on it. "Hey, it's better than doin' nothin'! I'm in!"

"Me too," Tristan agreed.

"Then we should get going," Tea said to Yugi. "Neither of us can fly. We'll have to rent some horses."

"Rent? Ah, no rent for the lovely summoner and her Charger," Sern said, strolling out of the HQ. He looked at Yugi, and bowed quickly. "It is an honor, Fuerite."

Yugi blushed. "Wow… thanks," he said, surprised. Yugi quickly bowed back. "It's an honor to meet you too, sir."

Sern laughed heartily and pulled out two horses by the reins. One was red-brown, the other was black. "It seems you cannot fly at this time, Fuerite. But I owe you this much."

Yugi cocked his head. "Owe?"

"A Fuerite on our side yet not under the control of the emperor is good news to the men. They are happy to have you with us, as am I." He handed the reins to Yugi and Tea. "So make haste, and return with success."

"Bye, Joey!" Yugi said as he and Tea started to trot away. "Have a good time!"

"Good time…" Joey scoffed. "They're out doin' all da fun stuff, and we're stuck 'raising morale'."

* * *

Atem walked with his horse up to the gates of Eintres. The weather was fair, and the sea was calm, so the boat ride over went excellently. Eintres was warmer than Shurken, so Atem took off his cloak and leather gloves.

A great wall surrounded the city, and the only entry was a large wooden door painted gaily with pastel flowers and birds. "They're certainly a strange group of people…" Atem mused. This was a complete shock compared to the sandy, dull marketplace of Shurken.

Atem took a breath and rang an ornate metal bell outside the decorated gate. A bit of shuffling was heard, and a small slit opened in the wood. "Business?" the man behind the door asked. His voice was heavily accented.

"Ah… I'm from the Empire," Atem answered.

"More feathers?" he asked excitedly.

Atem shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. Actually, I'd really like to speak with someone in charge. It's a matter of great importance."

"Great importance, great importance…" the doorman muttered. "In Eintres, all great importance shared, from Charger to king. All people know. What matter of great importance?"

Atem didn't know if he was supposed to tell this man, but what was the worst that could happen? "I've come to ask your allegiance in the coming battle with the Rashauni. Their numbers vastly outnumber our own, and we would be slaughtered."

"Ah, slaughter, yes, yes…" the doorman said. "Sounds like bad news. Come on in."

Atem was a little surprised that he'd be allowed inside after his brief yet dramatic story, but the door opened and Atem took his horse and entered confidently. Everything was painfully bright and colorful. The streets were covered with doodles and idle drawings; the walls were lined with flowering ivy. A few barefoot girls ran up and took his palomino into a nearby building.

Atem stared after them in shock. Had they just stolen his horse in front of all these people? "They take to stable," the doorman explained. "You don't worry. Palace at end of street. Keep walking forward."

Atem nodded at his broken English and walked down the street. Everything and everyone seemed very happy, a far cry from the melancholy atmosphere of the Empire. After staring around at his surroundings for a while, Atem found the palace. It was an open, unguarded building where people were free to walk in and do as they pleased. That wasn't safe at all.

A short child poked his head out from behind a puce column. "You are foreigner from Empire!" he declared. "Doorman told me about you!"

Atem was speechless. News had traveled faster than he had walked. "Can I speak to the ruler here?" he asked politely.

The boy nodded and rushed off. A few minutes later, a man and a woman were dragged out onto the porch. They were clad in flowing, robin's egg colored robes, and their heads were adorned with silver coronets molded in the shape of bird's wings. The woman—supposedly the queen—was fanning herself with a fan made of Amorian feathers.

"So you are the foreigner Naim spoke of?" the queen asked. Her English was much better than that of the others.

Atem bowed. "Yes, my lady. And I must discuss business with you."

Instead of telling him to go away or ordering him to be executed as Atem feared, the queen laughed. "You Empire lads are always so formal. First of all, I am not your lady; I am my husband's lady. Second of all, bow your head only when you sleep. Third of all, business is not to be discussed; it is to be enjoyed. So please, take your decorum off at the door and come in to enjoy my table," she said, extending a hand into her house. Her husband nodded.

Atem stepped inside, and was ushered to a low table and benches. The table, made of a rich wood, was covered in pastries and fruits. "Help yourself to whatever you please," the king said, as he, too, began to eat.

Atem sat down and tentatively picked up a vermilion croissant. Disregarding the strange color, he bit it. It was excellently flaky and flavored with butter.

After he had swallowed, Atem began, "I have a favor to ask of you." They looked up at him from their breakfast. "This is not merely for Emperor Deibolos, but on behalf of all of the citizens of the Empire."

"What can we do for you? Your earlier offering was most generous," the queen said.

"The Rashauni have mobilized a massive force, and they aim to slaughter the citizens of South Refeirre." South Refeirre was the country in which the Empire was centralized. Shurken lay there, along with countless other bustling cities. "We… no, I would like to request your allegiance in this battle. We need your forces, or we would have no hope of surviving," he pleaded.

The king and queen considered it for a while, eating wild grapes in the process. "Our troops are slim, Atem of Shurken," the king said. "Why would you come to us?"

"Your troops may be small, but they are powerful," Atem responded. "And… we are desperate, my lord. Please, we need all the help we can get."

"Then you will get it," the queen said, grinning mischievously. "What can I say… I've been bored lately."


	10. Convince Me

Tea slumped on her horse. She and Yugi had been riding for hours, and she was exhausted. "How much longer until we get to Garuthier Forest?" she asked.

Yugi trained his masterful Fuerite eyes on the horizon ahead of them. A ways off lay the forest, and inside lay the city of Fuerites, hidden by the foliage. "About an hour, if we hurry," he replied, based on the distance between them. "I'm more worried about how we'll be received."

Tea looked up. "What do you mean? You didn't know? Yugi!" she yelled. "We're going into dangerous territory here! We could be killed!"

Yugi sighed. "I'm sure we won't be killed." Tea glared at him. "Okay, I'm almost certainly sure we won't be killed." Tea continued to glare. "Okay, I'm somewhat but not completely almost certainly sure we won't be killed," he said finally. Tea seemed content.

"I can't take this anymore. Let's hurry," she said, and urged her horse into a gallop. Yugi quickly followed. For a while afterward, they headed toward the far-off forest, until the trees were too thick for the horses to walk through.

"We're almost there," Yugi said, brushing a cockeyed branch out of his face. "The Wind Barrier should be in this direction."

Tea jumped as a spider slid down on its web in front of her. "So, there will be all sorts of Chargers there, not just Wind, right?" she asked.

Yugi grimaced. "I don't think you should call them Chargers, Tea. That's only a term used for Fuerites that have a summoner. Oh, and yes, there will be Fuerites of all the elements."

"Do you think the Wind Fuerites will hate me more than, say, the Earth Fuerites?" She stepped over a root.

"They won't hate you, Tea. Once they see your crystal and I explain that I'm your willing partner, they'll understand. That's the least of our worries," he replied.

"The least of our worries? What's the most of our worries?"

"The most of our worries is that they won't help us, and they decide to destroy the Empire instead of allying with us."

"Yeah, that would be the most of our—ouch!" Tea said suddenly, as she bounced off of something. It was smooth and cold, but… it wasn't there. "What did I run into?" Tea wondered aloud.

Yugi jogged over to her side. "Hey, you found it!" he exclaimed. He was looking directly at the space where Tea had collided with nothing.

"Found what?" Tea asked, rubbing her nose.

Yugi took her hand and pressed it against an invisible wall in the air. "I know humans can't see it, but it's there. It's the Wind Barrier," he explained. "Hold up your crystal to it, and it will dissolve, letting you through."

Tea nodded and followed his instructions. Yugi stepped through, walking down a wooden path that had suddenly appeared. Tea followed him and found that she didn't run into anything. "When did the path get here?"

"It's always been here. The Barrier serves as an illusion device as well as protection. If it wasn't for a particularly nasty summoner, humans wouldn't even know this place existed."

They walked down the road until they reached a magnificent city, lodged cozily among gigantic trees. "Wow…" Yugi and Tea said simultaneously. Each section was designated specially for each element. The Wind Fuerite district was built high above their heads, only allowing creatures with wings. The Water Fuerites district was submerged beneath a large pond. The Fire Fuerite district was surrounded by ever-burning flames, and the Earth Fuerites district was blocked by an unmovable clay boulder.

"This place is amazing," Yugi said, watching as Wind Fuerites with wings of all colors of the rainbow flew from treetop to treetop above them.

The creak of a bent bow alerted them of someone behind them. "What business do two humans have in the Garuthier?" the person asked angrily.

Yugi quickly changed into his Fuerite form. He had remained human during his trek. "My name is Yugi, and I am a Wind Fuerite," he said, turning around with his hands up in a gesture of peace. "This is my summoner, Tea."

The woman carrying the bow was obviously an Earth Fuerite. Her bow grew living flowers, and her skin was pale green. Her jade locks were interspersed with leaves. "A Fuerite and his summoner?" she said disbelievingly, lowering her bow. "Such a pair has not come into the Forest in hundreds of years."

Tea bowed respectfully. "I don't mean the Forest or the Fuerites any harm, ma'am."

The Earth Fuerite eyed her suspiciously. She turned to Yugi. "The only way a human can enter these woods is to have a crystal, and such a thing must be made willingly. Do you trust her to keep the sanctity of Garuthier?"

"Absolutely," Yugi said. "I choose to become her Charger, and I wouldn't have done so if I didn't trust her."

The woman scoffed. "So the world is changing… Forgive me for my disbelief. My name is Kyera." she said. Tea was surprised. Unless that was a fake name, Kyera had just shared her most precious secret with her.

"I understand why you wouldn't trust humans like me." Tea said. "I've heard of summoners doing terrible things."

Kyera leaned close to her face, placing her verdant finger under Tea's chin. "You're certainly a strange one… to know my name and not try to summon me."

Tea shrugged. "I guess I am strange. Besides, if I'd started to summon you, you'd probably just kill me, huh?"

"Probably." Kyera laughed. "I like her," she said to Yugi.

"Me too," he agreed cheerfully. He became more serious. "But we're not here on a vacation, Kyera. We have to ask the Parliament about something."

"Business with the Parliament? Sounds important…" Kyera mused.

Yugi nodded. "Really important. And we have to hurry—we don't have much time."

"Sure, sure," Kyera said. "It's right over there. They don't get much business, so you can just walk right in and present your case, okay?"

"Thanks, Kyera," Tea said, waving goodbye. Kyera waved back and walked off toward the Earth Fuerite district.

"See?" Yugi said triumphantly. "I told you I was sure we wouldn't be killed."

Tea and Yugi walked up into the House of Four Suns, the headquarters of the Parliament of Garuthier Forest. Inside, one Fuerite from each elemental district ruled over the other Fuerites and dictated the laws. "Uh, Yugi?" Tea asked, poking the winged boy before the walked into the building.

"What is it?"

"How much do you actually know about the Parliament?" Tea asked nervously.

Yugi scratched the back of his head. "Garuthier Forest seems a lot like Staem," he mumbled. "So I guess that the Parliament is basically the same too."

Tea fumed. "You really like living on the edge, don't you?"

Yugi just smiled sheepishly and skirted off into the large building. Tea exhaled meditatively and followed him. A bright flame shone in the middle of the room, and the four Parliament members sat on their seats, chatting idly between themselves.

"We have guests…" the Water Fuerite said. She was dressed in silver pants and a cropped blue top. Gills twitched on her abdomen.

"A Wind Fuerite and a human," the Fire Fuerite noted. His skin was a bright scarlet, and his eyes burned with flames. "An unusual pair to be found in the Forest nowadays."

The Wind Fuerite bounced up and down happily. "I think they're cute!" she said. Her wings were grayish and spotted with black and white.

The Earth Fuerite was less jovial, and idly glanced at his fingernails. "What is your request?"

Yugi stepped forward and bowed low, extending his wings out to the side. Whether it was polite, or just for balance, Tea didn't know. "Lords, ladies, I bear a request from the Empire, on behalf of the innocent peoples of Shurken," he said.

"A request from the Empire!?" the Earth Fuerite spat. "The enslavers of our people seek aid!?"

"Please, Eminence," Yugi pleaded. "I know about the greed of the Emperor, because he tried to take me as a slave as well. I know about his hatred, and his lust for power. I know about the horrible things summoners have done in the past. But I'm not asking you because of them!"

Yugi gestured to Tea. "How do you think a human could have gotten in the forest, except with my permission? There are still good humans out there… and that's why I want you to fight for them! No race is perfect—even Fuerites have done wrong!"

The Parliament stirred. Yugi was convincing them. "The Rashauni are coming to Shurken, and if we don't help them, they will win! And where do you think they will turn next? They will look for another food source--us! They will find a way into our sanctuary, and by that time it will be too late! We can't just hide away in the woods until the war comes to our doorstep. Let's stop this before innocent people, humans and Fuerites, die unnecessarily."

Yugi's words were powerful and true. Tea was surprised that Yugi had such charisma. The Wind Fuerite, perhaps bonding with her own race, was the first to applaud. "I think we should do it! Besides, if we don't like them we can always kill them afterwards."

"I think you're right, Synche," the Fire Fuerite agreed. "You have the Fire Fuerites' allegiance."

"The Water Fuerites', also," the Water Fuerites said.

Only the Earth Fuerite remained. "I refuse to submit my troops to your whims. You will not have the help of the Earth Fuerites."

Yugi grinned. Three out of four… that wasn't so bad.


	11. Alliances

"Yugi and Tea still aren't back yet," Tristan said to Atem. The latter was, much to his chagrin, made commander of the Eintrean volunteers. The emperor had a cruel sense of humor. "I hope they haven't… well, y'know…"

Atem understood. According to the duo, after he had left for Eintres, Yugi and Tea had decided to try and gain the alliance of the Fuerites in Garuthier. A lot of good that alliance would do them if they didn't arrive on time. Besides, they were going into dangerous territory. If those Fuerites resented Tea because she was a summoner…

"I'm sure they'll return soon, Tristan," Atem said, although he wasn't very sure himself. "Just have faith."

Atem was more worried about his strategy. There was one class five Water Fuerite in the Eintrean summoner ranks. This class five, Trillium, belonged to the queen herself. Like all class five Water Fuerites, Trillium could use hydrokinesis, but it would be nearly worthless considering that the battleground—allegedly the D'Endre Highway—was nowhere near a water source. The Rashauni army would be there by dawn tomorrow, and Atem's pages hadn't even finished digging the wells.

Atem leaned back in his wooden chair and sighed heavily. He had the lives of a hundred experienced summoners on his shoulders, and he didn't know if he was cut out for this type of responsibility. "You were going to be Pharaoh," he coached himself. "You would have done this sort of thing all the time."

"Nervous?" Joey asked. Atem nodded, not even trying to deny it. "We're all nervous, man. But all o' dat preachin' to da forces really gave me a new perspective! At least if we die… we're doin' somethin' good, right?"

Atem smiled softly. It was an optimistic, if morbid, way to look at the situation. "Right," he agreed. "Have you two been practicing?"

"Of course we have! If we can't even beat you, then how are we supposed to beat an army?" Tristan retorted.

Atem got up and walked toward his room. "Then you should stop, and get some rest. Tomorrow, whether Yugi and Tea are here or not, we're going to have to go to war."

* * *

Joey and Tristan came galloping up to the line of summoners and soldiers, late as usual. "We're here… we're here," Tristan panted, catching his breath from his hard ride.

Atem rode up to them. "What on earth took you so long? You can see the Rashauni approaching in the distance!" he yelled.

Joey recoiled from his harsh tone, checking hisside that he had brought his sword. "The pressure's really gettin' to ya, isn't it?"

In response, the Egyptian scowled and turned his horse back to the Eintreans. The queen had summoned Trillium and was talking animatedly with her in the Eintrean language. After a few moments of avid discussion and assorted pointing toward the wells, Trillium nodded, understanding her orders.

"Queen Saset," Atem said to the queen. "You and Trillium are ready to begin?"

Saset turned to Trillium, and they smiled amiably at each other. "We are ready for anything, Captain," she said confidently.

Atem noticed that Saset and Trillium seemed to be close friends. It reminded him of Tea and Yugi… who still hadn't come back from Garuthier. The rocks on the hard earth began to shake as the forces of the Rashauni approached. Birds flew from their perches to a safer haven, and rabbits sprinted out of their holes.

Finally, in a battle as epic as this, the emperor had chosen to fight and use his Fire Fuerite. The poor creature had remained locked down in the deepest cellar, never to see the sun or taste the wind, until coming to the surface after a decade of rotting in his prison. He looked tortured, wasted. His confinement had driven him to madness; you could see it in his eyes. If it wasn't for specific instructions from Deibolos, he would have most likely killed them all.

The Fire Fuerite, Mathaeus, was incredibly tall. His muscles were stretched and lanky, and his flaming hair fell in unruly locks down his back. Horrid scars ran across his red stomach—either he had been whipped, or those scars had been self-inflicted. Atem shuddered. How could a person do such a thing to an innocent? Mathaeus, Atem was sure, had never done anything to deserve such treatment.

Atem took a deep breath, and he watched the Rashauni advance. Once they were a hundred yards away, the archers were ordered to fire. Growling in defiance, the Rashauni fired back. For a moment, the arrows of both forces hovering in the air above them. "Saset! Now!" Atem yelled.

Saset called out to Trillium, and the Fuerite twisted her arms and began a strange dance. The water floated out of the wells, and suddenly froze in a thick wall over them. The arrows from the Rashauni glanced harmlessly off of it.

Atem grinned as he sensed the frustration of the Rashauni general. The general roared in fury and ordered his footsoldiers to advance. This was the emperor's territory now, and Atem waited patiently for the old man's orders. "Eintreans, move forward!" he bellowed.

Atem was shocked. He was using the Eintreans as sacrificial lambs. They would take out a few forces, but they would all be killed in the end. "Emperor!" Atem called out to the king. "You can't just send them out to die! We don't have enough soldiers to operate in waves!"

"Do you think you can command me, boy!?" the emperor spat back. "I am the emperor! Fall in line and do as you're told!"

Atem wouldn't stand this anymore. This emperor was insane, and Atem wasn't going to let him destroy more innocent lives. "Citizens of the Empire!" Atem yelled to the army behind him. "The Eintreans are your brothers! You know that they will not survive on their own. Would you let them die? Would you leave their wives and children as widows and orphans? Help them! You know that it's the right thing to do!"

Without waiting for support, Atem urged his horse forward into the battlefield. Somewhat to his surprise, he heard the rumbling of the others charging with him. He heard the anguished cries of the Emperor, horrified that he was losing the support of all his followers. He didn't understand—he never had the support of his followers.

Atem's steed toppled the line of archers who had briefly stepped in front to fire. Leaping off as a pikeman skewered his horse, he unsheathed his broadsword and quickly eviscerated his assailant. He dodged the blows of two Rashauni simultaneously, using the sword of one to stab the other.

At a distance, Joey ran up and engaged in a fierce sword battle with a particularly vicious berserker with a giant sword. Tristan saw his distress and slashed the Rashauni in the back. Joey nodded appreciatively and quickly dusked as another warrior came towards him.

The battle was progressing, and the humans were losing. A number of their forces were dead, and Trillium was badly hurt. The emperor ordered Mathaeus into the field, and the Fuerite devastated the Rashauni in his wake. Deibolos sneered. As he gloated over his imminent victory, a very intelligent Rashauni assassin crept up behind the emperor, and with a quick blow, lopped off the man's head.

Mathaeus stopped instantly, feeling the bonds break. "I'm… free," he said, staring distantly at his hands amongst the violence. "I'm free!" he cheered, and ran off to the north, never to be seen again.

Atem clutched his side and breathed painfully. A long cut ran across his abdomen, dripping blood down onto his tunic. He, like everyone else, wouldn't last much longer. Atem smiled grimly as his vision started to dim from exhaustion. At least Tea and Yugi… would be safe…

A long, clear horn blew from the south, and countless shadows passed between the earth and the sun. Atem gathered the strength to look up toward the sky. Scores of pairs of multicolored wings dotted the sky. From the forest, the neighing of horses signaled the arrival of the land forces.

The Fuerites were here.

* * *

Tea looked above her as she galloped to the Highway. Yugi and dozens of his race soared above them, and turned into a steep dive. She only hoped that they had arrived in time. The humans didn't look so good.

The Wind Fuerites swooped down on the Rashauni, picking them up and tossing them aside once they had reached an acceptable altitude. The Water and Fire Fuerites sent vicious missiles toward their enemies.

Joey quickly dodged a stray fireball and rushed over to Atem's side. He had seen him keel over shortly after the Fuerites had come. "Dude… dude, speak to me!" he yelled, shaking the unconscious ex-pharaoh. "Come on, Atem, wake up!"

Yugi landed hard next to them, breathing hard. "What happened? Is he okay?" he asked desperately.

"I don't know, man…" Joey said, brushing his hand against Atem's wound. Atem flinched and took a gasping breath. "He's still with us, though."

A Rashauni rushed at them, and Yugi casually dismissed him with a small tornado. He kneeled down and put his hand carefully on Atem's chest. "Please don't die on me…" he pleaded softly. "You were going to help me write my paper."

A missile of water blew a Rashauni away, and the bedraggled humans and Fuerites cheered collectively. They had won against the Rashauni plague, saving their families from a painful death. Anything was worth that.

Tea ran up to the others, who had all gathered around Atem. "Is he going to be alright?"

Tristan plucked a feather out of Yugi's wing. "Ow! What was that for!?" Yugi yelled. Tristan tickled Atem's nose… and he sneezed violently.

"He's gonna be fine," Tristan said, handing Yugi back his feather. "He just needs a nap."


	12. Let's Go Home

Hi, guys, sorry I'm late! I had start of school tests yesterday, so my day was a little askew. But, I promise you, I will try to get you the next and last chapter on Tuesday, along with the start of a brand new story! Hope to see you there!

* * *

Atem awoke to the rhythmic cries of a large crowd of people yelling the same chant again and again. He sat up quickly and gasped in pain. His stomach felt like it was on fire. But what had happened?

"Atem?" Yugi asked. He was sitting near the window, and the sunlight gave his wings an ethereal glow. "You shouldn't sit up so fast."

"You couldn't have told me that before?" Atem joked, pushing himself up against the headboard behind him. He looked like he was in one of the healing rooms in the palace. "The battle… I assume we won, as I'm still alive and in one piece."

Yugi grinned happily. "Yeah! It looks like Tea and I came just in time."

"With all of your friends, correct?" Yugi nodded.

"I don't know about friends… allies, though." he said hesitantly. "They're not going to stay long. They hate the emperor because of what he did to Mathaeus, and they think they'll hate the new emperor, too."

Atem remembered. "Ah, yes… the emperor is dead."

"Oh, yeah…" Yugi said. "How did that happen, anyway?"

"A Rashauni killed him, soon after he dispatched his Fuerite. As for Mathaeus, he sprinted off toward his much-deserved freedom," he replied. "But I don't know what the Empire's going to do now. Deibolos had no progeny."

"You here those people outside?" Yugi asked. "They're all yelling for that captain, Sern. The councilmembers are arguing whether or not they should elect him because of the people."

"It would make sense to do so. Anything else would risk rebellion," Atem noted.

Yugi smiled. "You know, _you_ would make a good emperor."

"I think I'll pass, Yugi. I no longer live the life of a ruler. I'd be content to just go home and help you write your paper." Atem winked at Yugi. However dimly, he had heard what Yugi had said to him.

"I hope the Fuerites will see that Sern's a good person. I've met him, and he treated me with… respect."

"You sound surprised."

Yugi ruffled his feathers a bit. "Don't take offense to this, but… I've never really thought most humans were like that."

"But you told Tea your name because you didn't think that she'd abuse your power," Atem retorted.

"That's why I said most. You and the others… you're different, to say the least. I mean, think about all of the crazy stuff we've been through. We've all made mistakes… we've come from different places. But… we've always stuck together. I would have told you before if I could have…"

"I know," said Atem, cutting him off. "I just hope that the other Fuerites can learn to trust _some_ humans, like you have."

Yugi laughed. "I'm telling you, this is a great deal! I don't have to worry about hiding my name, and I don't have to worry about killing someone I don't want to either!" He sighed, and his wings drooped. "I wish everyone could find a human they could trust."

"And you're not the only one, it seems." Atem recalled. "The Water Fuerite, Trillium, seems to be close friends with Queen Saset."

"Oh, yeah! I talked with her earlier, while you were asleep. She understands what I'm talking about. Apparently Saset treats her like her own sister."

"Maybe you and she could convince the others to give us humans a chance." Atem shrugged. "It doesn't seem like we're pressed for time."

"I know," Yugi said, crawling up on the bed beside Atem. "I want to go home, Atem. And we don't even know how we came here."

"We'll find a way, Yugi," Atem assured. "I promise you."

* * *

The next day, Atem's stomach was healing nicely. Sern had been elected emperor, and the people of Shurken—even the entire Empire—rejoiced at having someone who actually felt like a citizen of his country.

The Rashauni did not appear to be making any more attempts to subjugate the humans and remained in Agrabael, hunting wild deer. Apparently, the Uhrdeit had been killed by a rogue Fuerite whose master had contracted syphilis and gone insane.

The Fuerites had requested a meeting with the new Emperor Sern, on a fake name basis only. It wasn't much of a concern for the emperor, considering that he had no summoning experience at all.

"Emperor Sern," said the Fire Fuerite known only as "Flare". "My colleagues and I are curious as to the condition of your character."

"My character is as it's always been, Commander Flare," Sern replied. "I love my parents, serve my country, and give food to those who need it."

"And what is your opinion of Fuerites?" Flare asked. Her eyes flashed with fire. "I assure you, you are not in the position to lie."

Sern cleared his throat. "I understand that I am extremely vulnerable in this situation. Fuerites are indeed powerful, but to be frank, I have no need for such power. The Rashauni insurgency has ended, and I may tend to my people in peace."

"That peace will end, Emperor. What will you do then?"

"If that day comes within my lifetime, I hope that I will have your voluntary allegiance once more. But, as with all nations, if you refuse there we will be nothing I can do."

This answer seemed to satisfy Flare. "I like you, Emperor Sern. As commander of the Fire Fuerites, you will have my allegiance at the end of peace."

Sern nodded. Flare and her companions made to leave, but Yugi stopped them. "Please, Commander Flare," he pleaded. "I hope you understand now that not all humans are evil and power-hungry. I hope you understand my decision to become a Charger."

The commander turned to him. "In your position, I would have done the same." She glanced at Tea. "Better her than the wretch that drove Mathaeus to madness."

"I'm sorry about your brother," Yugi said slowly. "Maybe one day you'll find him again, and you'll let him be the Charger of someone he can trust, too."

Flare smiled briefly at the comfort, and walked out of the palace. A brief clapping was heard from behind Sern's throne, and Tea mentor—Teph—stepped out into the room. "Well said, Yugi. I believe that human-Fuerite relations will be improved, thanks to you."

"Teph?" Tea asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

Sern's guards reached menacingly for their swords, as if a diminutive old woman could have done much harm. Instead of being afraid or offended, Teph laughed. "I teleported, of course. If I can take you from your world and into mine, then I can at least teleport myself a few miles away!"

"Wait, you're da one who took us from our homes?" Joey exclaimed. "Why'd you bring us here?"

"Isn't it obvious? You've saved the humans in the world from annihilation. If you weren't here, we wouldn't be either." She took out a small crystal ball from behind her back. "I've heard wonderful things about all of you. I thought you could help us."

"You knew who we were when you called us here?" Tea asked. "Why didn't you just tell me in the first place!? You could have told me where my friends were! You could have told me that I actually had a chance of going home!"

"I'm sorry, my dear, but everything worked out, didn't it?" Teph responded cheerfully. The others stared at her with mouths agape. "But now your duty is done. I'll take you home."

She began to start the ritual to transport them back, but Yugi stopped her. "Please, Teph," he started. "Why did you send me to the Rashauni capital? I…"

"I know, Yugi. But if you hadn't, then you never would have told Tea that you were a Fuerite, and you never would have gone to Garuthier." Teph smiled at him. "You _have_ saved more lives."

In an instant, Yugi saw the portal open above them. He was sucked in and, a few moments later, he popped back out on the other side, right onto his bed. Yugi quickly changed back to his human form, and noticed something strange—it was still dark out.

Atem walked into Yugi's bedroom. "Yugi…" he said. "What day did we leave?"

"April 5… Tuesday," Yugi replied.

Atem's eyes flicked toward the calendar. "It's the same day."

"And the same time…" Yugi observed. "Darn!"

Atem was surprised. "What?"

"Now I still have to write that paper!"


	13. Chicken vs Egg, the Epic Battle

Here we are at the oft useless but anyways written epilogue. I just wanted to thank all of you personally for your support:

Thanks to A.YamiYugi, dragonlady222, crystal ice614, Arion Girl, S2Teennovelist, Deviousdragon, Shamise, Yugisrose, Someone..., and Millenium13 for reviewing! Each one brought me joy.

Thanks to Arion Girl, Deviousdragon, Millenium13, and sango-miroku956 for favoriting!

Thanks to Animefreak99-06, Arion Girl, Deviousdragon, Garden of Everything, Lia Silverclaw, Millenium13, Panguins-in-American-Oh-my, and pequena for alerting!

And thanks to all of my readers!

* * *

Tea strolled casually down the street from ballet practice. She didn't mind the fact that she was walking through town in tights, a leotard, short shorts, and legwarmers. The whole dancer fashion was in, anyway.

Tea turned the corner into the alleyway towards her house. Maybe she'd call Yugi and see if they could hang out. The paper he had written for the history teacher had turned out well—much to his surprise—and he was currently spending his Saturday playing idly with Atem. Tea laughed as she remembered Yugi's absolutely cute celebratory dance when he saw his grade.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist and slammed her against the wall. She gasped as a soiled man with long, greasy hair and vicious eyes closed his fingers around her throat. "What have we here…?" he hissed, and leaned forward to lick her on the cheek.

Tea knew she wasn't strong enough to overpower this man, so she took the only option she had. With chocked breaths, she uttered the incantation for a class five Wind Charger summoning. "Tate!" she screamed.

A harsh light filled the alleyway, and Yugi immediately appeared. He saw her situation and his yellow eyes burned with rage and contempt. The attacker spun around, wondering dumbly how this winged person had come to be in the alley with them. Yugi took advantage of his stupor and place his hand against the other's chest. With a flurry of wind, the man was blown into the wall, hitting his head and getting a severe concussion.

Tea panted heavily and hugged the small Yugi with all her strength. "Thank goodness you were here!" Yugi smiled, but he was beginning to suffocate. When he coughed, she let go. "I'm just sorry I had to summon you like that…"

"What are you talking about? You could have gotten hurt," he replied, shaking his head. "That's what I'm here for, Tea. I mean, I probably broke a few dishes—I was washing them when you called me—but everything's fine. I gave you my name because I trust you to respect it. You wouldn't have summoned me if you didn't need to."

They were silent for a while, as neither one of them really knew what to say. "I was going to call you later," Tea admitted. "I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out."

Yugi nodded, and changed back into a human form. "Of course I do!"

* * *

Joey and Tristan sat idly in Tristan's bedroom, munching on a few peanuts. "Do you think Yugi came from an egg?" Tristan asked suddenly.

Joey looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, birds come from eggs, right? Yugi's got wings like a bird; he could come from an egg," Tristan argued.

Joey shrugged, and downed a mouthful of nuts. "Guess so. Why?"

"I dunno," Tristan replied. He paused for a moment. "Y'know, having a Charger would be cool."

"We got a fat change o' gettin' one," Joey said. "What are da odds of somethin' like dat happenin'?"

"Well, say we get a Wind Fuerite egg. Then we could raise her up, get even more eggs, and start a whole army!"

"But… don't we need a Fuerite to get an egg?"

"Of course not. We're gonna get the egg from the Fuerite, naturally."

"How are we gonna have a Fuerite to get da egg from ta have a Fuerite?"

"We'll get an egg, dude! I already told you! We need the egg to get the Fuerite to get more eggs. Simple."

"We hafta have a Fuerite to get da eggs to get da Fuerites to get da eggs!"

"… Wait, what?"


End file.
